POETRY: Vanessa Angelica Villarreal's new poems on family, ancestors, and extinct flowers of the Americas

On today's episode, essayist, critic and award-winning poet Vanessa Angelica Villarreal reads new poems on family, ancestors and extinct flowers of the Americas. Here are "Shelter in Place," "Easter Poem," "August," and "Canis Latrans." Vanessa's first poetry collection, Beast Meridian, earned a Whiting Award and the John A. Robertson Best First Book Award from the Texas Institute of Letters. The collection was also a 2019 Kate Tufts Discovery Award Finalist. Beast Meridian and her highly anticipated collection of essays, Magical Realism, are available now at VanessaAngelicaVillarreal.com. Support the show The Offing is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and we rely on literature lovers and art enthusiasts like you to keep the lights on. Support The Offing and this podcast by subscribing to our patreon. Represent your love for The Offing with merchandise from our store, including tote bags, bookmarks, pencils and logo mugs. Hosted by Ashaki Jaskson, publisher of The Offing Intro theme is “Boro” by Hara Noda. Outro is “Yuzu” by Hara Noda. Music provided by Epidemic Sound. Recorded at Past Due Studios in Los Angeles, California. Produced by Christopher Chase Godwin Executive producer Katrina Mohn